Life of a Civil War Soldier

  

                            Life of a Civil War Soldier

I am a soldier. When a Confederate colonel tried to take me (Johnny Clem). I  picked up a musket and killed the colonel. I was made a sergeant. The Union rules stated a soldier was supposed to be at least 18 years old. Boys who were eager to fight found a way around that.  Fighting  and being a Civil War soldier was harder than ever. Fighting in battles was hard, but soldiers did not fight all the time. We spent our time in between battles walking around to set up new camps.  We walked so much that our feet were sore, peeling like onions, and sometimes even broken. Soldiers spent most of their time in camp. We did drills and learned how to march. Some soldiers played cards in their spare time. I played games like baseball. Many soldiers played musical instruments, like fiddles or flutes. I missed home. At least I got to write letters to my family and friends.  Almost every able white man in South Carolina fought in the war. More than 60,000 men from our state joined the cause of the Confederates. Some of them volunteered to fight. Others were drafted by the government. Drafted soldiers were forced to join the war. Soldiers found different ways to entertain themselves in camp. They hunted, read books and played cards. Some soldiers would even chase rabbits.  If you were a Civil War Soldier, how would you feel?

By: Lia Maynard